Met in Abnegation
by lizzieartblossom13
Summary: What is Tris and Tobias had met in Abnegation? How would their friendship -and romance- before Dauntless have played out? Fourtris (duh).
1. Chapter 1

_Hi! This is my first fanfiction on this site. Basically, Tobias and Tris met whilst in Abnegation. A few days before Tobias left for Dauntless, they sleep together and Tris becomes pregnant. Two years later, it is Tris's turn at the Choosing Ceremony…_

 _Disclaimers: Veronica Roth owns all._

 **Chapter One**

 **Tris**

Tobias holds me close, our bare bodies entwining. After two years of secret meetings, stolen kisses and quick glances, I could finally have him in this way. I am nervous, the desire overcomes that. I pull him closer.

Abnegation forbids this kind of love until after marriage, but seeing as Tobias has his Choosing Ceremony in just three days, there wouldn't be any opportunity for this for another two years. I already know that he will choose Dauntless, faction of the brave, to escape his father.

My fingers trace the scars on his back as we kiss passionately, each mark courtesy of Marcus Eaton, the leader of Abnegation. He is friends with my father. I moan into Tobias's ear. He captures it with another kiss, and I mumble his name into his ear.

'I love you, Tris,' he murmurs, using his nickname for me, a short form of Beatrice, my full name.

'I love you more,' I whisper, eyes closed.

'I love you most.'

* * *

 **Two Years Later**

I balance Elisabeth on my hip. Mom chose her name; it is very Abnegation. But in a couple of days we will both be Dauntless, and I can finally see my Tobias again.

I first realized I was pregnant two weeks after he left. In the beginning I cried endlessly, and refused to tell Dad, scared of his reaction, even after Mom figured it out. But when I began to show it was inevitable. Sometimes I feel as though the whole city knows about my scandal. Still, I have kept Tobias and I's secret. But after my Choosing Ceremony, I will never have to keep it again.

I don't even know if Tobias made it through Dauntless initiation, which is apparently super tough. I haven't seen him for two years. He doesn't know about Elisabeth, unless he heard the rumors.

Elisabeth places her hand against my neck, sleeping peacefully. At fifteen months old, she is the perfect mix of Tobias and I. She has his dark blue eyes, my blonde hair and thin nose, and his full lips and smile. To me, she is flawless. I love her so much, more than I ever thought possible. Maybe even more than I love Tobias. Having a child has made me more selfless, and it helps me fit in more before we leave.

When I choose Dauntless, I'll have to find her a new name.

* * *

Divergent? How could that be? Erudite, Dauntless _and_ Abnegation? Erudite, my father's enemies, my faction's haters? Abnegation, where I am so stifled? And Dauntless, brave yet stupid, whom I would choose anyway?

Tori, my aptitude test administrator, looks at me sadly. 'Go out the back door,' she instructs quietly. 'If anyone asks, the serum made you sick, and I sent you home. And your result was Abnegation, okay?'

I nod, frightened, for myself and my daughter. She gestures at the door, and I hurry out of it, checking to see if my bun is still neat. My heat is racing, my eyes darting around everywhere. All I know is this:

If anyone finds out I'm Divergent, Elisabeth and I are dead.

* * *

'Beatrice Prior.'

My name shakes me out of the daze I had gone into when my brother, Caleb, selected Erudite. Erudite! Our enemy! They have been trying to rebel against Abnegation, who run the city, for years now. My brother... This is what he meant when he told me to think of myself too, last night after dinner. But I must think of Elisabeth now.

I walk up to the five bowls, her on my hip, and ignore the whispers of an Abnegation having a child at sixteen.

Marcus hands me the knife, at which point I glare at him for all the wrong he has done to Tobias, all the pain he has put him through. I cut Elisabeth's hand first, wincing as she begins to cry. I quickly slice my own palm, ignoring the stab of pain I feel, and squeeze our hands together over the lit Dauntless coals.

The whispers are louder now.

I walk over to the rows of Dauntless seats, and a pierced girl of around eighteen rises. 'Let me take her,' she offers. 'I'm Shauna, by the way. She'll be safe, I promise,' she adds when she sees my nervous expression.

I nod, biting my lip as I pass Elisabeth over, who is still sniffling, before sitting next to a dark-skinned boy for the rest of the Ceremony. Soon all the names have been called, and the Dauntless stand first, exiting the Hub swiftly. We break into a run, and I am glad handed Elisabeth over. All the Dauntless climb up onto a train track, so I copy them, pulling myself up the metal columns. When I finally flop onto the metal rails, I am pulled to the sides. I wonder why, but a second later my . Not sloquestion is answered.

A train appears in the distance, and it is fast approaching the line of initiates and members. Not slowing down.

 _We have to jump._

Of course we do. This is Dauntless. I start running before it passes me, and grab onto the side of the train, straining to heave myself on. A Candor extends her hand, and I take it gratefully as she pulls me up. We watch as an Erudite boy fails to get on to the train, and collapse to the ground. It is that easy to get cut.

'I'm Christina,' the Candor says, shaking my hand. The motion is unfamiliar, but I do it anyway. I am Dauntless now.

'Tris,' I say, using Tobias's name for me.

She smiles, and I do too as we sit against the wall of the train as it speeds through the city. All too soon, though, the Dauntless stand, preparing to... Jump off?

I look at Christina. 'Together?' I offer.

'Together,' she agrees.

'One... Two... THREE!' We leap and I land hard on my elbow, grazing it. But I just laugh. I can feel my Abnegation bun coming undone, but I find I don't care.

Somebody screams and I look up to see a Dauntless-born female gazing down where the train used to be. I walk over with Christina, and we both gasp as we see a body, on the ground, limbs askew and blood seeping out. Clearly dead. I swallow uncomfortably, looking away from the now weeping girl.

A dark man stands on the wall, so I look up at him, going over to where the other initiates are. 'Welcome!' he cries. 'My name is Max. I am a leader of Dauntless. To enter the compound from this roof, you must jump down here.' He point into the abyss behind him. 'So... Who's going first?'

Everyone shifts uneasily, even the Dauntless-borns. I am eager to see Elisabeth again. I raise my hand.

Max gestures to the wall as he hops off, and I walk forwards, stepping up onto the bricks. I look down into the black hole; the bottom is impossible to see. I take a deep breath, and remove my grey cardigan.

'Ooh, scandalous! A Stiff's showing some skin!' a boy calls -a Candor. Stiff is the slang word for Abnegation, because we -they- aren't very self-indulgent and won't bend out of our ways or let loose and have fun. How we act "Stiff" around others.

I ball up the cardigan and throw it at him. Hard. Then I throw myself off the wall, free-falling fast through the air. A rush of adrenaline courses through me and I land on something -a net.

I laugh, looking up at the sky, before I roll off the edge as people tug at the net. I would have fallen off the edge if someone hadn't have helped. I turn to thank them, and met with a familiar face.

'Tobias,' I whisper, only loud enough for him to hear.

He is taller, more muscular, the black tee stretching against his abs and biceps. His dark hair isn't Abnegation-short any more. But his eyes are the same: a dark blue, swirling, with a patch of lighter blue in one eye. I have spent so long staring into those eyes. Never have I imagined they would be so cold.

Tobias looks at me dead in the eye, dead being the appropriate word. His gaze is harsh and icy.

What have they done to him?

'A Stiff, the first to jump?' a woman says from behind us, one of her eyebrows cocked. 'Practically unheard of.'

'There was a reason she left them, Lauren,' Tobias says sharply.

Lauren rolls her eyes, and Tobias turns back to me.

'Name?' he asks.

Tobias, my Tobias, asking for my name? Does he really not remember me? Or does he just not care any more? What will he say when he finds out about Elisabeth?

'Tris,' I tell him, seeing as I told Christina that.

'Make the announcement, Four!' Lauren calls. Four? Who's Four?

'First jumper -Tris!' Tobias yells.

Oh.

I had always known that he would change his name in Dauntless, to try and be as unconnected to Marcus as possible. But never had I imagined that it would make me feel as though he has cut himself off from me, too.

Christina falls into the net, screaming, and Lauren helps this time. I turn to wait further away, but Tobias -Four- grabs my arm.

'Welcome to Dauntless,' he murmurs in my ear, and I smile.

* * *

'And these are the dormitories,' Tobias announces to the group of nine initiates. Lauren took the Dauntless-borns, and Tobias the transfers. This concludes the tour of the compound. We have seen the busy Pit, the dining area, and the deadly chasm. 'Notice there are ten beds,' he says. 'We expected more of you.'

'We started with twelve,' Christina points out.

'We always lose some before reaching the compound,' Tobias says, and I think of the boy failing to reach the train, the girl landing on the ground. I shudder.

Peter, the Candor who made the Stiff comment, smirks at the boy and girl next to him, Drew and Molly.

'Hold on!' Christina calls as Tobias turns to go. 'Is this for boys or girls?'

'Both,' he answers, and I wrinkle my nose as initiates grumble loudly.

'Beatrice!'

Shauna enters, holding a smiling Elisabeth, dressed in Dauntless black. It suits her. She hands her to me, and I kiss her forehead. I realize now how much I had missed her. Elisabeth is a familiar weight in my arms.

'It's just Tris, now,' I tell Shauna, and she smiles.

'Tris. It suits you,' she says.

'Wait,' Christina hisses. 'Is she yours?'

She points at Elisabeth. I feel Tobias's eyes on me.

'Yes.'

* * *

 _Yay! Chapter One done! Let me know what you think about the story, and make your predictions! R &R_

 _lizzieartbossom13_


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry that it's been so long! I decided to restart Chapter Two, following on from the previous chapter. Also, my original plan was to do one-shots, but now... yeah, I'm just gonna continue with this story.**

 **Disclaimers: Roth owns everything except Elisabeth. She's mine ;)**

* * *

 _'Wait,' Christina hisses. 'Is she yours?'_

 _She points at Elisabeth. I feel Tobias's eyes on me._

 _'Yes.'_

* * *

I watch as Tobias leaves, swiftly, his heavy footsteps echoing. Shauna looks at me a bit strangely, while I attempt to look innocent. After a minutes, she shakes her head and looks away.

Why did he go? Doesn't he want to meet his daughter?

'What's her name?' Christina asks.

I hesitate. My original plan was to rename Elisabeth, make her seem more Dauntless. Now that I actually have to come up with something, I'm at a loss. What do Dauntless names sound like?

Elisabeth... Beth? Lisa? Sabeth? Eli? _Eli_...

'Eli,' I say confidently, bouncing her on my hip.

'Pretty name,' one of the Erudite boys comments.

I blush, unused to compliments. 'Thanks.'

'What are you going to do with her during initiation?' Christina asks.

'I don't know.' I frown; I doubt Dauntless have a nursery.

'I'll look after her,' Shauna volunteers. 'I'm in apartment 42 is you ever need me, and to collect her at the end of each day.'

'Thank you,' I smile, and pass Eli over to her. Again, my arms feel empty without her. Over the past two years, I've rarely let her out of my sight, and as Shauna walks away, I feel a strange longing in my chest. _Maternal instinct_ , my mother once called it.

Tobias walks back in then, and glances at me, noticing Eli is gone. Something flickers in his dark blue eyes, but it is gone. A small ripple in the ocean of his iris. 'Listen up initiates!' he calls, and the muttering that had been gracing the room stops. 'Come with me to the dining hall.'

We all follow him out, and for the first time I notice the hint of a black, Dauntless tattoo, peeping out of his shirt. The Tobias I knew would never have gotten a tattoo, but then again, he isn't the Tobias I knew anymore. He's Four.

* * *

When we enter the dining hall, all the Dauntless stand up and cheer. They stomp their feet, raising their hands into the air, and the noise is deafening. I am glad, not for the first time, that Eli is with Shauna. The noise would have hurt her tiny, fifteen-month-old ears. Christina and I look for a seat, and we spot a near-empty table towards the back of the room. I find myself between her and Tobias, who barely looks my way when I sit down.

 _Great,_ I think. _My first meal at Dauntless, and it's with the man I love, the father of my child, who can hardly stand to glance at me._

Christina digs right in to the strange, circular meat, putting it between some bread with a foreign red sauce. I poke at the food with my fork, frowning.

'It's a beef burger,' Tobias whispers, and the sensation of his breath tickling my ear is so familiar that I forget to talk for a second, while he eats his burger as if he hadn't caused my heart to race.

 _That's because he doesn't love you anymore,_ a small voice my head mutters. I bat it away, and tuck in. Surprisingly, the burger is good, and I wish for a second that Abnegation didn't eat such plain food all the time.

'So,' Christina asks me when she has finished most of her meal, 'who's the father?'

I nearly choke on my food, and see in my peripheral vision that Tobias has stopped eating.

How am I going to get out of this one?

'I'll tell you in the dormitory tonight,' I improvise, knowing that I will have to come up with a believable lie by then.

Tobias tenses, then relaxes, both minute movements, but I have known him so well back in Abnegation that his tiny actions, his little characteristics and quirks, have become ingrained in me.

'Fine,' Christina says, a small smile on her face. I wonder what she is thinking. I don't know how Candor minds work, other than honesty.

'Four,' a voice says, and I turn around to see a man, around Tobias's age, his face covered in piercings, and his eyes cold and black. They sweep over me and Christina, and I shiver. 'Aren't you going to introduce me?'

'Eric, this is Tris and Christina, transfers. And this is Eric, a Dauntless leader,' Tobias says, in an almost monotonous voice.

'Ooh, a Stiff,' Eric grins, the corners of his smirk pulling at the piercings, making the holes they occupy louder. I wince. 'We'll see how long you last.'

I bite my tongue from saying something and how I will last, and turn back to Christina.

'Wait,' he calls, and I look at him. 'Aren't you the one with the kid?'

I swallow, and look down. Somehow I feel like admitting I have a child will do something bad. I'm not sure what, but it must be something.

'So what if she is?' Tobias stands to be on a level with Eric.

Eric glances from Tobias to me, and smiles again. 'No reason.'

He turns and walks away, and Tobias slumps back into his seat.

'Why did you do that?' I ask softly.

He glares at me, with the same look he gave me when I first landed in the net. 'I thought I'd only have to deal with Candor smart mouths,' he snaps. 'Now I've got Stiffs, too?'

I stare at him, trying to put a bit of malice in my voice. 'Must be because you're so approachable,' I say. 'You know, like a bed of nails.'

Heat rushes to my cheeks as I realise what I just said. No matter what Tobias and I's history is, the fact remains that he is my instructor, and I'm not even an official member of Dauntless yet.

'Careful, Tris,' Tobias says, and then turns as somebody else comes to talk to him. I blush again; his voice brings back so many memories of our time in Abnegation. I swallow as I recall our last night together: sweaty bodies, whispered 'I love you's, the feeling of him inside me.

I push the feeling down before my cheeks turn red for the millionth time today, and I look at Christina, who has an eyebrow raised.

'I'm developing a theory,' she whispers, like it is a secret.

'Oh yeah? And what is it?' I ask with an attempt at the cockiness of the Dauntless I have seen.

'You, my friend, have a death wish.'

I chuckle, and risk a final glance at Tobias. He looks so different now, his hair growing out, his muscles bigger, his shoulders broader. And for the second time in twenty minutes, I realise that he has changed so much.

Maybe too much.

* * *

 _And another chapter done! So happy that this chapter is finished, even if it is a bit shorter than the last one, and look out for the next one. :) R &R_

 _lizzieartblossom13_


	3. Chapter 3

**Since this is National Story Telling Week (in England), you're being treated with a chapter! Also, this is the last one in Tris's POV before we got to Tobias's.**

 **Disclaimers: If you recognise it, it's not mine.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Christina sits on my bed, looking at me expectantly. I continue to get changed into the black nightclothes they provided for us, more revealing than any Abnegation garment I've ever worn. My grey dress is folded up on my pillow.

'So?' she says, folding her arms.

'So what?' I mumble, tying my hair back into a ponytail and feigning memory loss.

'Who's the father?' she whispers not-so-subtly.

All the other muttering ceases, and I look around to see everyone trying not to stare. Peter is fighting off laughs, and I purse my lips.

'Initiates!' cries Eric, striding into the dormitory. I sigh inwardly with relief, glad I have more time to think of a lie. I stand up, and move towards the other transfers, who have gathered in front of him. 'I see Four has showed you the dorms. Now I have got a couple of rules.

'Be in the training room at eight o'clock every morning. You'll be in there until six, with a break for lunch. After six, you can do whatever you want. And there'll be some time off between each stage of initiation. And you can leave the compound when accompanied by a Dauntless member.'

I smile, knowing that I will have time each day to go and see Eli. It was so strange having dinner without her, but at least I know she is safe with Shauna. Well, I hope she is safe. I shudder, and try to banish that thought from my mind.

'In the first stage of initiation, we keep you and the Dauntless-born separate,' Eric continues, 'but you are ranked together. At the end of initiation, your rankings will be considered alongside those of the Dauntless-born. They are better than you are already, so I expect-'

' _Rankings_?' Christina interrupts. 'Why are we ranked?'

Eric grins almost manically, and in the dim light his piercings cut holes into his smile.

'Your rankings will determine the jobs you take after initiation,' he explains. 'Only a few... desirable occupations are available.'

I swallow nervously, my stomach tightening. The sensation is similar to how I felt during my pregnancy, and I place a hand there out of habit, to calm me down.

'They will also,' he goes on, 'ensure you are not cut.'

'Cut?' Peter asks, eyes narrowed.

'Only the top ten initiates are made members,' Eric says. 'There are eleven Dauntless-borns, and nine of you. Four will be cut after the first stage, the rest after the final test. If cut, you will become factionless. Perhaps you should consider your odds.'

We all stand as still as statues. Our odds. Despite getting here with the jumping on and off the train, and then into the net, even if we make it through the whole of initiation, we might still be made factionless. Desperate. Starving. As good as dead.

My odds, as the smallest initiate and the only Abnegation, are not good.

But I have a secret weapon: I cannot abandon Eli. I cannot abandon Tobias.

Love makes people stronger, and I _will_ become a member. I have to protect my daughter, and I have to stay with Tobias. There is no way that I am being cut from Dauntless.

'But that's... that's not _fair_!' Molly cries; though her face is angry, her voice wavers in terror. 'If we had known-'

'If you had known,' Eric says quietly, 'and you then wouldn't have chosen Dauntless, then you don't belong here.'

His voice becomes louder. 'If you are truly one of us, it won't matter that you might fail. And if it does, you're a coward. Now get to bed.'

We all move towards our beds, still in shock, but Eric stops me with a hand on my shoulder.

'Max wants to see you, Tris,' he says, cocking a brow. 'In his office.'

I frown, and glance back at Christina. She shrugs at me, and I follow Eric out of the dormitory, ignoring the whispers and Peter saying loudly, 'maybe they throw Stiffs in the chasm?'

* * *

I feel awfully bare as I walk down the corridor. The blue lights barely illuminate the back of Eric's head, and a couple of times I almost stumble, trying to keep up with him. I am led through a maze of corridors, winding endlessly, until he finally stops in front of a door. There is a metal plaque on it, which reads in block capitals:

 **Dauntless Leadership: Max**

Eric pushes open the door, and I walk in nervously. It slams behind me, making me jump.

The first thing I notice is how brightly lit Max's office compared to the rest of the Dauntless compound. There is a black, spray-painted Dauntless symbol on the wall, the flames enclosed in a circle. There are other words on the walls, things I vaguely remember from when we did the faction manifestos in school.

 **We believe in ordinary acts of bravery.**

 **We believe in freedom from fear.**

 **We believe that cowardice is to blame for the world's injustices.**

 **We believe that justice is more important than peace.**

 **We believe in action.**

There are several of them, too many to read before the door behind me opens again and Max himself walks in.

'Tris,' he welcomes, and holds out his hand. I stare at it for a second, then shake it, trying to imitate what I have seen others do. In Abnegation, physical contact is restricted.

Tobias enters then, and I take a step back in shock. What is he doing here? Why does it feel like he is everywhere I turn?

I guess that is what love does to you, even though he is yet again basically ignoring me.

'Take a seat,' Max says, gesturing to the black couch to my left. I sit down at one end, and Tobias takes the other. There is a good foot between us, the space charged. 'I assume you are wondering why I have brought you both here?'

We both nod, and I bite my lip nervously. Surely this cannot be good.

'It has come to my attention that you, Tris, have a child,' Max continues.

Yep, I was right: this isn't good.

'What does that have to do with me?' Tobias asks testily, each word a knife, short and sharp.

'Since you are Tris's instructor, it is up to you to ensure the well being of her and her child.'

'Eli is with Shauna at the moment,' I interrupt. 'Four doesn't need to take care of us.'

'Be that as it may,' Max says, 'from now until the end of initiation, Tris and her child will be staying with Four in his apartment.'

We both start talking at once, so that it is impossible to hear what either of us are saying. Our voices overlap, so only few words can be heard.

'...inappropriate...' '...initiate...' '...bias...' '...unfair...' '...utterly ridiculous...' '...stupid...'

Max holds his hand up, and we both shut up. I realise that the gap between Tobias and I has become marginally smaller, whether on purpose or not.

'Tris, you will move in tonight. You may leave to collect your child.'

I stand up quickly and exit with the same speed. My footsteps echo down the corridors, while I try to process everything.

Half of me is filled with glee: I get to live with Tobias, the man I love, and my beloved daughter. We will be a family again, I can explain everything that has happened since she was born; it will be perfect.

But my other half is arguing that he hates me now, and that if he is always just going to ignore me, how can this ever work? If Tobias can barely stand to look at me, how could we possibly live together?

Despite my internal disputes, I know one thing for sure: I have more time to come with a lie for Christina.

* * *

 _Ooh, drama, drama, drama! Luckily for you, you get to find out how Tobias is feeling about everything so far next chapter! Hope you liked this chapter, and the pace is picking up a bit. R &R._

 _lizzieartblossom13_


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is long overdue.**

 **Thank you for all the lovely reviews, hope this is what you were hoping for!**

 **lizzieartblossom13**

* * *

I turn to Lauren, crossing my arms across my chest. 'When are the initiates due?'

'Any minute now,' she replies, placing one hand on her hip flirtatiously.

I roll my eyes. Girls have been hitting on me since I started at Dauntless two years ago, but all I have been able to think about is Beatrice. Tris. I cannot wait to see her.

Suddenly a small ball of grey – _grey?_ – falls from the large hole in the ceiling, landing on the net and laughing. As they roll towards the edge, I see who they are.

Tris stares at me as I help her off, and I make my gaze icy and cold. If any of the Dauntless leaders find out we are together, they will assume that if she makes the cut, it will be due to that.

'Tobias,' she whispers, and I stiffen. Nobody can know my true name.

Lauren makes a snide comment about 'Stiffs', and I reply sharply.

'Name?' I ask impassively when Lauren is gone, though it is hard to glare at the woman you love.

'Tris,' she tells me, and I feel my heart swell. She is using my nickname for me. She must still love me.

* * *

'Beatrice!' Shauna calls as she enters the dormitory, carrying an adorable (did I just use word _adorable_?) child in her arms. My heart stops.

'It's just Tris, now,' she says after taking the child into arms and looking at it maternally. _Maternally? No, no, no..._

'Tris. It suits you.'

'Wait, is she yours?' that Candor girl loudly whispers.

I stare at Tris, willing her not to say that word and confirm my worst fear. _Please, Tris..._

'Yes.'

And with that one syllable, I storm out.

* * *

I sit at one of the dining tables, chewing my beef burger slowly. When I had gone back to get the initiates, the baby had gone, and Tris had gone back to watching me. Maybe she is trying to telepathically tell me which guy she had slept with after I had gone. I am so mad at her, but mostly I am mad at myself. I had led myself to believe that she would wait for me as I did for her.

My thoughts are interrupted when Tris sits down next to me, with her new Candor friend. While the other girl gets stuck into her meal, Tris starts at her burger oddly. Despite my less-than-warm feelings towards her at the moment, I remember how it felt to be the odd one out at Dauntless.

'It's a beef burger,' I mumble to her, and go back to eating as if smelling her familiar perfume hasn't done funny things to my pulse.

'So,' Candor girl asks, 'who's the father?'

Immediately I stop eating, glancing at Tris out of the corner of my eye. Does she have the guts to admit in front of me who she cheated on me with?

'I'll tell you in the dormitory tonight,' she says.

No, then.

I wonder if that is because she still loves me, then dismiss that thought instantly. Perhaps she is just private. I was when I first came here.

'Four,' Eric says, tapping me on the shoulder, 'aren't you going to introduce me?'

I sigh internally, making the necessary introductions, and in the process of doing so I remember the Candor's name: Christina. Thank God I hadn't known Tris's name but not hers.

'Ooh, a Stiff,' Eric grins. 'We'll see how long you last.'

I roll my eyes. He had said the same thing to me two years ago, and I had finished before him in the rankings. I hope Tris will do similarly well – serves him right for making assumptions.

'Wait,' Eric says. 'Aren't you the one with the kid?'

Tris swallows and looks at her lap, clearly uncomfortable. Even though I am upset that she slept with another man, I still love her, and it pains me to see her like this.

I stand up. 'So what if she is?'

Eric replies, and thankfully leaves. When I sit down Tris asks me why I did that.

 _Because I love you_. 'I thought I'd only have to deal with Candor smart mouths,' I snap, fighting to keep menace in my voice. 'Now I've got Stiffs too?'

She makes some witty remark I had never dreamed of coming out of her mouth, and I respond with a warning about so many things: 'careful, Tris.'

* * *

I follow Max to his office, confused about why I'm going. Max was very vague about why I was going, and I fear that it is to do with sleeping with Tris two years ago. Or the fact that very soon after, she slept with another man.

My worries are confirmed when I enter and see that Tris is stood in the middle of the room.

'Take a seat,' Max says, and we sit at opposite ends of the couch.

We have a conversation about Tris's child (apparently called Eli), Tris remaining mostly silent and my words snippy and sharp. I am trying to make it as impossible as I can for Max to think I love Tris, and it may be working.

'Four doesn't need to take care of us,' she says at one point, and I realise that it is the first time she has used my Dauntless name. It sounds odd coming from her mouth, when I am so used to her calling me Tobias.

'Be that as it may,' Max says, 'from now until the end of initiation, Tris and her child will be staying with Four in his apartment.'

Tris and I immediately start talking over one another, making the words impossible to hear, though our tone is clear. Neither of us want this. Why would I want to stay with this girl that I love but who has had a child with another man?

However, we both shut up when Max holds up his hand. You don't disobey Max.

'Tris, you will move in tonight. You may leave to collect your child.'

She scampers away gratefully, and Max and I watch her go. When the door shuts, he turns to me, disappointed.

'I thought you would be more mature, Four,' he says, before leaving as well.

I sit in the office for only a moment before heading to my apartment. I may as well be there when Tris arrives with that godforsaken kid.

* * *

 _There will be a chapter 5, but maybe not for a few weeks. Thank you for reading this chapter. Xxx_


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